Career and Education Opportunities for Household Appliance Repairers in Irvine, California

Household appliance repairers can find both educational opportunities and jobs in the Irvine, California area. There are currently 6,200 working household appliance repairers in California; this should grow 11% to 6,900 working household appliance repairers in the state by 2016. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for household appliance repairers are expected to grow by about 2.2%. In general, household appliance repairers repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, and ovens.

A person working as a household appliance repairer can expect to earn about $18 per hour or $38,100 annually on average in California and about $16 hourly or $33,910 per year on average in the U.S. as a whole. Compared with people working in the overall category of Office and Home Equipment, people working as household appliance repairers in California earn less. They earn less than people working in the overall category of Office and Home Equipment nationally.

There are 112 schools of higher education in the Irvine area, including nine within twenty-five miles of Irvine where you can get a degree to start your career as a household appliance repairer. The most common level of education for household appliance repairers is an Associate's, or other 2-year degree. You can expect to spend about two years studying to be a household appliance repairer if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Household Appliance Repairer

Household Appliance Repairer video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, household appliance repairers repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, and ovens.

Household appliance repairers furnish repair cost estimates, and recommend whether appliance repair or replacement is a better choice. They also remove worn and faulty parts such as switches or faulty wiring. Equally important, household appliance repairers have to disassemble appliances so that problems can be diagnosed and fixes can be made. They are often called upon to observe and examine appliances during operation to uncover specific malfunctions such as loose parts or leaking fluid. They are expected to trace electrical circuits and conduct tests with circuit testers and other equipment to find shorts and grounds. Finally, household appliance repairers clean and touch up minor defects on newly installed or repaired appliances.

Every day, household appliance repairers are expected to be able to listen to and understand others in meetings. They need to evaluate problems as they arise. It is also important that they note differences between sounds as they change tone and volume.

It is important for household appliance repairers to service and repair domestic electrical and/or gas appliances such as clothes washers and dryers. They are often called upon to assemble new or reconditioned appliances. They also observe and test operation of appliances following installation, and make any initial installation adjustments that are needed. They are sometimes expected to maintain stocks of parts used in on-site installation and maintenance of appliances. Somewhat less frequently, household appliance repairers are also expected to contact supervisors or offices to receive repair assignments.

They also have to be able to conserve and recycle refrigerants used in cooling systems and record maintenance and repair work performed on appliances. And finally, they sometimes have to respond to emergency calls for problems such as gas leaks.

Like many other jobs, household appliance repairers must be reliable and have exceptional integrity.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Household Appliance Repairer Training

Orange Coast College - Costa Mesa, CA

Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA 92628-5005. Orange Coast College is a large college located in Costa Mesa, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 24,700 students. Orange Coast College has less than one year, associate's degree, and two to four year programs in Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation & Repair which graduated three, two, and zero students respectively in 2008.

Fullerton College - Fullerton, CA

Fullerton College, 321 E Chapman Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92832-2095. Fullerton College is a large college located in Fullerton, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 22,500 students. Fullerton College has an associate's degree and a two to four year program in Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation & Repair.

Long Beach City College - Long Beach, CA

Long Beach City College, 4901 E. Carson St., Long Beach, CA 90808-1706. Long Beach City College is a large college located in Long Beach, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 26,097 students. Long Beach City College has one to two year, associate's degree, and two to four year programs in Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation & Repair which graduated thirty-nine, thirteen, and zero students respectively in 2008.

Cerritos College - Norwalk, CA

Cerritos College, 11110 Alondra Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650-6298. Cerritos College is a large college located in Norwalk, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 22,228 students. Cerritos College has a one to two year and an associate's degree program in Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation & Repair which graduated three and three students respectively in 2008.

Golden West College - Huntington Beach, CA

Golden West College, 15744 Golden West, Huntington Beach, CA 92647-2710. Golden West College is a large college located in Huntington Beach, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 14,000 students. Golden West College has an associate's degree and a two to four year program in Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation & Repair.

Irvine Valley College - Irvine, CA

Irvine Valley College, 5500 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA 92618-0301. Irvine Valley College is a medium sized college located in Irvine, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 11,963 students. Irvine Valley College has one to two year, associate's degree, and two to four year programs in Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation & Repair which graduated five, zero, and zero students respectively in 2008.

Los Angeles Harbor College - Wilmington, CA

Los Angeles Harbor College, 1111 Figueroa Place, Wilmington, CA 90744-2397. Los Angeles Harbor College is a large college located in Wilmington, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 9,694 students. Los Angeles Harbor College has an associate's degree program in Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation & Repair.

Saddleback College - Mission Viejo, CA

Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Pky, Mission Viejo, CA 92692-3635. Saddleback College is a large college located in Mission Viejo, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 20,706 students. Saddleback College has less than one year, associate's degree, and two to four year programs in Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation & Repair which graduated six, three, and zero students respectively in 2008.

Rio Hondo College - Whittier, CA

Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA 90601-1616. Rio Hondo College is a large college located in Whittier, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 17,505 students. Rio Hondo College has an associate's degree and a two to four year program in Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation & Repair.

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Customer Service Specialist:
An individual who successfully passes ETA's World Class CSS Certification exam is professionally recognized as having the ability to uphold the interpersonal and business standards necessary in today's workplace.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Irvine, California

Irvine, California photo by SoCal L.A.

Irvine is situated in Orange County, California. It has a population of over 207,500, which has grown by 45.0% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Irvine, 136, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Irvine are valued at $283,000 on average, which is below the state average. In 2008, one hundred twenty-five new homes were built in Irvine, down from two hundred twenty-nine the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Irvine are educational services, professional, scientific, and technical services, and health care. For men, it is professional, scientific, and technical services, educational services, and computer and electronic products. The average travel time to work is about 23 minutes. More than 58.4% of Irvine residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 24.2%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Irvine is 7.3%, which is less than California's average of 12.3%.

The percentage of Irvine residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 44.8%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The most common religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Charismatic Churches Independent.

Irvine is home to the International Raceway and the Heritage Park Library as well as Heritage Park and Alderwood Park. Shopping centers in the area include Heritage Plaza Shopping Center, Alton Square Shopping Center and Arbor Village Shopping Center. Visitors to Irvine can choose from Atrium Hotel At Orange County Airport and Amerilodge Electronics for temporary stays in the area.